Swimsuit Shopping with the Rampion Crew
by Aurum19
Summary: Thorne suggests that the crew go bathing suit shopping.
1. Chapter 1

"This is what you Earthens call clothing?" scoffed Jacin.

"Well, I guess if you're in the water, then not many people can see you..." Cress mused, looking at the scanty bikini in front of her. Thorne smirked and winked at her. There were no words needed for her to blush. Cinder rolled her eyes and lightly punched him in the shoulder. With her metal hand.

"Ow!" Thorne yelped. "That hurt!"

"You deserved it," Kai muttered. Thorne opened his mouth to make a smart remark when Winter cut in with a giggle.

"I like this swimsuit! What do you all think?" She displayed the swimsuit on the rack to everyone.

"It's really pretty!" cried Iko. "But are you _sure_ you don't want a bikini instead, Winter? It would look really good on you!" Winter pressed her lips together in thought, not seeing Jacin's ever-increasingly rosy face. She then shook her head.

"I don't really feel comfortable in those." Jacin let out a sigh of relief. Winter glanced back down at the chosen bathing suit. "I like this one! I'm going to try it on," she announced as she skipped towards the changing room.

While they were waiting, Thorne attempted to get every girl to wear a bikini, causing every male their to flush at the prospect of their girlfriends showing more skin than they were used to. When Scarlet accepted a choice that Thorne had offered to her, tomatoes became jealous of the color on Ze'ev's face.

Scarlet showed a bejeweled, exposing bikini to Ze'ev, smirking a little. "What do you think, Ze'ev?" she asked innocently, knowing exactly what he was thinking. If possible, Ze'ev turned even redder.

"I... uh, I guess- Um. If you- ah..."

Thorne joined Scarlet in her devilish grinning. "Hey, Scarlet, why don't you try it on?" Kai, Scarlet, and Thorne were trying hard not to laugh, but Jacin and Cinder looked indifferent. Cress nudged Thorne.

"Captain, that's not very ni-"

"Sure I will!" Scarlet interrupted. "I'll wait until Winter comes out first, though. I want to see what she looks like."

* * *

When Winter came out, she, unsurprisingly, looked beautiful. She had made a good selection - a cerulean one piece that wasn't too revealing, but since she was already curvy, it was enough to make Jacin turn a dark shade of pink. (He tried to shrink to the back of the group, but Kai, smirking, caught his wrist and dragged him to the front.)

"What do _you_ think, Jacin?" Kai mocked. Jacin scowled, but when he saw Winter's hopeful expression, faltered a little.

"It... It looks good on you, my Princess." The "my Princess" comment caused Winter to avert her gaze nervously, a small smile playing on her lips while happiness sparked in her eyes. It also made Cress and Iko giggle like crazy in the back of the group. Scarlet clasped her hands together.

"It looks so pretty, Winter!" Winter beamed some more.

"Thank you! I'll change back. Will you try on a swimsuit, Scarlet?" Winter asked. Scarlet smiled, borderline flirtatiously, shooting Ze'ev a wink.

"Don't worry. I will." She paraded off to the changing rooms with Winter. Thorne cackled.

"This should be fun."

Cinder groaned. "That's what you said when you suggesting we go swimsuit shopping. And this is anything _but_ fun."

"Well," Cress began brightly, "when you're queen of the Eastern Commonwealth, you won't have to worry about shopping too much." Cinder's eyes widened and Kai's ears were as pink as a strawberry. Cress's brow creased. Winter came out in her normal clothes that exact minute.

"You _were_ planning on marrying her, right, Kai?" Winter questioned. Iko looked at him expectantly.

"We have a couple years left..." Kai attempted.

"So that's a yes?" Iko pressed.

"I..." Kai stammered.

Everyone was silenced (in shock or surprise) as Scarlet came out of the changing room. Everyone knew Scarlet was curvy, but this particular swimsuit did a good job accentuating and revealing those curves. Ze'ev's eyes widened as he scanned her figure and he looked away, his restless feet tapping even more quickly.

Thorne looked at everyone with a ' _ha!'_ expression. "See? I do make good fashion choices." Cinder rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. You look good, Scarlet!" The flushed crew mumbled in agreement, except for Ze'ev.

"What do you think, Wolf?" Thorne asked, looking innocent. Ze'ev's eyes were wide as he looked at Thorne.

"I- I, um. I think she... Er..." Ze'ev's voice dropped into a whisper. "She's beautiful no matter what she wears."

Scarlet's whole face split in a happy, loving smile. She kissed Ze'ev. He attempted to pull her to him, forgetting that she was wearing a two-piece swimsuit. So when he made contact with skin, he jumped an entire three feet away in surprise.

"What-" He was interrupted by everyone's howling laughter.

"You might wanna get that gun out, Wolf," Thorne joked. "You might need it soon." Ze'ev and Scarlet both flushed at his crude joke. Kai and Cress were blushing when they realized what he had meant.

"Shut up, Thorne," Jacin and Cinder said simultaneously. Thorne shrugged, his smile not fading.

"I'm just saying..."

"I'm going to find another bikini," Scarlet announced. "I feel weird in this one." Cinder snorted.

"Turns out you don't have such good taste after all, _Captain Thorne_."

"Shut up." Thorne cleared his throat.

"So! Cinder, you're next!"

"I'm choosing my own swimsuit."

"Sele- um, Cinder!" Winter called out. "I found a bathing suit you may like!" Winter held up a black one-piece with a neon green outline. It was practical but unusually pretty. Not unlike Cinder herself.

Cinder took the swimsuit from Winter and examined it before nodding. "Yes. I like this one. But how will I swim without my metal parts rusting?" She suddenly looked worried. Kai rolled his eyes.

"Cinder. We can do _cybernetic operations_ on people. We can also make waterproof gloves or coatings for your leg. It's not that big of a deal."

Cinder argued back that she didn't want to be a burden.

Several minutes and a kiss later, Cinder decided she would try on the swimsuit.

* * *

Cinder came out and Scarlet, dressed in her normal clothes, clapped. (Scarlet had decided on a red-and-white striped bikini - still a little revealing but not as flashy.)

The sleek black and green swimsuit Cinder was wearing suited her.

"Oh, Cinder! You look great!" Iko squealed. "I wish I could get a swimsuit..."

"Um... Yeah. You look great, Cinder," Kai coughed. Cress giggled.

"What?" Kai asked.

"Nothing. Just you were the first of the guys to comment on their girlfriend's swimsuit without prompting."

Kai ran his fingers through his hair, his ears turning pink. "Yeah, well..."

"Not a bad choice, Cinder," Thorne relented. "I approve." Cinder snorted.

"Yeah, because _that's_ the reason I like it. But thanks anyway. I'm going to change back." Cinder quickly turned and headed back into the stall.

Thorne faced Cress. "I have a good swimsuit for you!"

Cress looked terrified. "I'm not sure I want you to-"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? C'mon, see. You said you wanted to experience Earthen life? This is part of it."

Cress hesitated.

"Okay, at least see what I chose, okay? I won't make you wear it," Thorne compromised. Everybody looked surprised. When Thorne was suggesting bathing suits to everyone else, he had pestered them to no ends. Well, they shouldn't have been surprised. They all knew the so-called captain had a soft spot for Cress.

Cress nodded. "Okay."

Thorne grinned. "Let me get it."

While Thorne was gone, Cinder came out of the changing rooms. She smirked when she saw everyone's worried expression. She turned to Cress.

"Is Thorne forcing you to wear something, too?" Cress smiled and shook her head.

"He said he wouldn't. He's getting the swimsuit right now." Right on cue, Thorne came back with a light pink bathing suit in his hand.

"Here!" he said triumphantly. He handed Cress a light pink two-piece with ruffles decorating the top part. It didn't reveal anything at all, except her stomach, of course. It was very pretty, in a delicate sort of way.

Cress ogled at it, blushing slightly. She looked up at Thorne with a wide smile. "I love it!" She flung her arms around her Captain, who chuckled, but looked pleased nonetheless.

"I thought of you immediately when I saw it." Cue Iko squealing. Cress pulled away from Thorne, still beaming.

"I'm going to try this on!" Thorne smiled down at her like he was the happiest person alive. Cress practically ran into the changing rooms.

* * *

Cress stepped out of the changing rooms, biting her lip slightly.

"What do you guys think?"

"You look wonderful, Cress!" Kai said, smiling.

"You look adorable," Scarlet stated matter-of-factly. Iko, Winter, and Cinder agreed.

"What do you think, Jacin?" Winter asked excitedly, hopping up on the balls of her feet to peck him on the cheek. He shrugged.

"She looks nice."

Cress gave him a wide smile before turning to Thorne. "What do you think, Captain?"

Thorne's eyes, which were fixated on her face, widened slightly and there may have been a light blush on his cheeks. "Uh... Er..."

Kai snickered. Thorne shot him a glare, though he seemed relieved to have a distraction. He returned his attention to his petite love.

"You look wonderful, Cress." Cress gave him the biggest smile.

"Thank you! I'll go change back."

* * *

They were all standing at the entrance. The girls all had their swimsuits, and the boys all had their blushes.

"This was fun!" Iko tittered.

"Yeah, sure," Cinder replied, sounding exhausted. "This reinforces my dislike for shopping."

"Come on," Thorne urged. "It wasn't _all_ that bad. Right?"

Jacin snorted. "Okay."

" _I_ had fun," Winter interjected.

"Me too!" Cress grinned.

Scarlet smirked. "It was entertaining, that's for certain." Ze'ev looked pained.

"Yeah. For _you_!"

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy that, Z," Scarlet scoffed. Thorne burst into laughter and Ze'ev looked like he just wanted to die.

"I don't see you denying it," Jacin added. Ze'ev looked at him, astonished and mortified.

" _Not you too!_ " Ze'ev cried.

"He's not wrong..." Kai commented. Ze'ev dropped his head in his hands in total embarrassment. Scarlet laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

Cress slipped her hand in Thorne's. A comfortable silence ensued as the Rampion crew walked out of the store. Suddenly, Iko squealed.

"Let's come back soon so the _boys_ can try on bathing suits!"

All the guys groaned.

* * *

 **A/N: This was so much fun to write. Thanks to _MusicDancer_ for giving me the idea for this story! One day, I'll write a second part to this where the boys try on bathing suits... Ooh, that'll be fun. XD I hope you all giggled as much as I did and had fun with it! Love to you all! -Aurum19**

 **[I do not own the Lunar Chronicles.]**


	2. Chapter 2

Jacin picked up a pair of swim trunks and looked around. "Why do these all look the same?"

Cinder snorted in agreement. Thorne looked scandalized.

"All look the same? What are you _talking_ about? You haven't even scratched the surface!" Thorne looked at all the slightly confused faces around him. "Have any of you ever swum before?"

Cinder bit back an amused grin. "Well, last time I tried to do that, it didn't turn out so well."

Scarlet chuckled. "I have, but I'm not exactly male, so..."

Cress and Ze'ev looked at each other.

"There's not many opportunities to swim when you've been locked up or manipulated your whole life," Ze'ev deadpanned, gesturing to Cress and himself.

Thorne let out an exasperated sigh. "I suppose it is now my duty to teach you all how to choose swimwear. Well, the guys at least."

Every other person except Thorne looked terrified.

* * *

"What is this?" Ze'ev emerged from an aisle with a cackling Scarlet behind him. Everyone looked at what he was holding and Kai near immediately looked away, ears red. Jacin stared at it in horror.

"I expect Scarlet would know what it is," Thorne replied, smirking. It looked like a speedo, but with a pocket in the front. However, it looked much too tight to be mens' swimwear.

"European swimwear!" Scarlet snorted as her laughter died down. Thorne looked on the verge of howling with laughter himself.

"I am not wearing it," Kai stated.

"Since Wolf found it, doesn't that mean he should wear it?" Jacin said. It was clear that someone was going to be forced to try it on and Jacin was not going to be the one to do it.

"NO." Ze'ev's eyes were wide. Cinder's snort caused them all to turn.

"C'mon, even Cinder agrees!" Thorne jeered.

"I never-"

"You have to now!" Thorne urged.

"...The sooner it's over... Thorne has to do it too, though," Ze'ev said. A wicked grin appeared on Thorne's face.

"Of course."

* * *

Ze'ev walked out of the changing room and nearly everyone gasped.

"Ze'ev..." Scarlet began, holding back laughter. He was looking everywhere but at them.

"Okay, I did it. I'm changing back."

"Wait, hold on!" Thorne called.

"Nope!" Even with his back turned, Ze'ev's entire neck was bright red.

He disappeared behind the racks.

Cress looked at Thorne. "What was that?"

Thorne looked at everyone. "I apologize."

Kai smirked, "So are you going to do it, Thorne?"

Cinder replied for him, "No."

* * *

"Will you find a swimsuit, Jacin?" Winter asked, looking up at him.

"He will," Kai responded. Jacin scowled.

"Why don't you go next?" Cress suggested. Thorne snorted.

"When am I ever going to swim?"

"It's just for the fun of it!" Winter said. Jacin rolled his eyes and agreed.

"What about this one?" Kai asked. It was a very plain, light green rash guard and a pair of black swim trunks. Jacin sighed.

"You're going to try _something_ on," Scarlet insisted.

"It might as well be this one before Thorne finds something."

"Hey!"

Jacin grabbed the pair and walked to the changing room.

"...It would have been amusing to make him wear a speedo, though."

"Scarlet!"

* * *

Jacin walked back out and Winter smiled so widely.

"You look so... casual!"

Jacin's glare softened a little and Cress giggled.

"Yeah, you look like an actual human!" Thorne exclaimed.

"Why did I ever agree to this."

"Aw, c'mon, you're having fun."

"No, I am not."

The entire group burst into laughter.

"Keep telling yourself that, Jacin," Cinder remarked.

"I don't think he knows the word 'fun,'" Winter giggled. Jacin's stern look softened and, for a moment, he _did_ look human.

"It looks okay?"

"Of course!" Winter smiled. They were all probably hallucinating, but it looked like Jacin smiled faintly as well.

* * *

"So, Thorne, you're next?" Jacin asked as soon as he got back. Everyone was still giving him amused side glances.

"Ha, no. I'm saving the best for last," Thorne smirked.

"Yeah, okay." Pause. Then a groan. Iko giggled a little bit.

"I wonder who's next..." The grin on Iko's face was _huge._ Thorne grinned brightly. He turned to Cinder.

"I have a perfect idea for-"

"No, we don't want to be blinded today."

"Hey! That's insensitive!"

"You got your eyesight back-"

"But still!"

"My point remains."

"I don't know whether I should be offended by this," Kai said.

"Oh, no! Not like that!" Iko squealed. "We'd all be blinded - in a good way!"

"Thanks?"

"...Still insensitive."

Kai gave a pointed look to Thorne. "I am not wearing anything you choose."

"Ze'ev and Jacin know you're missing out!"

Two vigorous head shakes. Several laughs.

"Fine..."

"I'll try and find one." This came, surprisingly, from Ze'ev. Everyone looked at him and he shrugged. "I know what _not_ to look for." Even Thorne snickered.

He walked off to find something and came back several minutes later with a sleek looking pair of swim trunks.

"These were the first I could find that looked okay..."

Thorne began to open his mouth and Scarlet traded an amused look with Cinder. Kai didn't seem to really look at the swimsuit; he seemed more concerned about getting out of earshot by the time words came out of Thorne's mouth.

"Good luck," Jacin snorted.

* * *

Kai came back - face enflamed.

"Who even made these?" was his first question.

The swimwear was loose around the waist, then tight along the thighs.

It was an incredibly awkward design.

It would have looked awful on anyone who wore it.

Everyone took a few seconds to comprehend, " _How did those even make it on store shelves?"_ and by the time they had, Kai had taken off to the changing rooms again.

"Ze'ev..." Scarlet began.

"I'm aware how bad of a decision that was."

"Yes."

Everyone looked horrified.

"...This is why people should let me pick out the swimsuits."

"THORNE."

"At least we've all been embarrassed a little today!" Winter smiled.

"Is that a good thing?" Scarlet mused.

Kai returned, face still red. "I've decided that I'm not going to purchase anything."

This brought a laugh from Cinder.

"Yes, you will."

"Maybe. But I'll be choosing my own."

* * *

"And last but never least!"

"Can we just skip your turn?" Cinder muttered. Thorne ignored her.

"Me!"

"I have a feeling you already have a swimsuit you've picked out for yourself..." Ze'ev said. Thorne grinned.

"An entire outfit."

"Oh my stars," Jacin groaned.

"You guys will love it."

"I'm sure." Kai.

"Okay, stay here."

"I'm tempted to start running," Scarlet said when he had left. Cress laughed.

"I'm sure it won't be _that_ bad. After all, this time, he's putting it on _himself._ "

"True..." Scarlet replied dubiously. "I doubt that'll change much, though."

Cress laughed again.

Several minutes ticked by in silence.

"I wonder what it looks like," Winter said.

* * *

It was _terrifying_ _._

None of the crew had seen such a terrible explosion since the revolution.

Winter giggled. That soon turned into a full-fledged stomach-clutching laugh. Cress's giggles mixed in with Winter's.

"What... is _that_." Jacin was the first to speak up; the rest of them hadn't recovered yet. Thorne's grin didn't falter.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

It was neon yellows, greens, blues, and oranges. The swim trunks were Hawaiian-type printed - palm trees and all. Except all the natural colors were brightened in the worst possible way. He wore a Hawaiian button-down that was entirely unflattering (but he managed to pull it off?).

"I'm serious, Thorne, you are going to blind us," Scarlet deadpanned.

"I am blessing your eyes."

"Captain... It is a little scary," Cress managed.

"Oh, come on!"

"Okay, I'm looking away now," Kai mumbled and several others followed in suit.

"Emperor! You are supposed to be polite!"

"Not in situations that are personally threatening me."

Ze'ev snorted.

"Please change," Kai said.

Thorne rolled his eyes.

"Only to spare you the stunning beauty of my brilliant wardrobe choices."

There was an audible sigh of relief. Thorne's grin only got wider.

* * *

The Rampion crew stood around each other, examining everyone's purchases.

Jacin decided not to buy anything, despite Winter's pleas. ("I won't use it.")

Ze'ev got a simple pair of dark red swim trunks.

Kai settled on a (much less awkward) black pair of swim trunks.

Thorne purchased the Hawaiian shirt, which he claimed he did not own. ("I have some other pairs of swimsuits.")

Everyone, ignoring the scars of this awful shopping trip, exited the store smiling.

* * *

 **A/N: I didn't realize there was more than 2 options in male swimwear.**

 **This isn't my favorite piece that I've done, but I wanted to finish up this two-shot before I lost the energy to do research on swimwear. (Also, it has been FOREVER and it had been bothering me that I hadn't finished it.) This is supposed to be very lighthearted, so I hope you got at least one chuckle at my blundering through this very unknown territory.**

 **I love you all and any sort of feedback is appreciated. :)**

 **-A19 (on the european swimwear thing... i did not explain more than i had to and i apologize for that xD i didn't want that much repetition in the swimsuit choices, so that was the only option i could think of that did not sound the same as the others.)**


End file.
